📘 Light Novel – Chapter 1: "A Strange Morning in Uttar Pradesh"
In central Uttar Pradesh, inside a cramped little Indian town packed with tight alleys and loud bazaars, stayed a teenager - just sixteen years old -
Ritesh Yadav.
Although he attended 10th grade, nobody really noticed him at school.
Alone, nobody around to share a seat.
He never picked a seat up front, always slid into the back row - silent, on his own, like no one saw him there.
Each morning, kids at school would laugh at him -
"Look, the fat guy has come!"
"He can't even run properly!"
"Don't sit near him, he's so boring!"
Ritesh just stood there, taking in every harsh word without a sound…
Just like always.
As he headed home down UP's gritty lanes, dodging tea stalls and roadside stands, loneliness stuck close behind.
His place felt quiet too - parents mostly tied up, so Ritesh hung out by himself more often than not.
---
One Day in Uttar Pradesh… Everything Changed
On that day, things turned uglier at school.
One person stashed his notebook, another swiped his meal, while a third knocked his seat forward.
Still—he stayed quiet.
On his way back, down a tight lane by the market, he spotted a sight that froze his steps.
A small boy—
frail, round-faced, nervous - exactly how Ritesh once felt
were getting pummeled by a few bigger kids, one after another.
"Where is the money?!"
"You didn't bring it again?!"
"Maaro isko!"
The crack of a slap bounced down the alley.
Ritesh's heart pounded.
He was afraid…
Yet he had to face it.
"Not today… I can't just watch."
He moved ahead, then stopped right before the kids causing trouble.
Ritesh: "Stop! Leave him alone!"
The kids looked on - suddenly cracking up.
"Oh ho, ek aur motu aa gaya!"
"Beat this one too!"
He got shoved, then hit, after that booted
until he dropped onto the gritty dirt path of UP gali.
He shook from the hurt.
"I… still couldn't protect anyone…"
"I'm too weak…"
---
Then… A Shadow from the Gali Appeared
All the bullies at once seemed scared.
Out by the road's edge, a kid stepped in
tall frame, a narrow face - eyes like ice.
The kids whisper-screamed:
"Woh aa gaya… bhaago!"
They took off right away.
The boy got to Ritesh, along with the hurt child, then pulled them both upright.
Boy:
"You both okay?"
Ritesh nodded weakly.
After that, the kid said it straight, using a steady tone
"If anyone troubles you again… tell me. Don't stay quiet."
Before anyone could say a word,
he walked away—
leaving Ritesh puzzled about the guy's identity.
A protector?
Or something else?
---
That Night in Uttar Pradesh
Ritesh came back home battered, worn out because of sadness.
His mind just kept going, yet he tried to focus elsewhere.
"Why am I always weak?"
"Why can't I fight back?"
He dozed off while crying.
---
Next Morning… A Miracle in UP
As he opened his eyes with the early light, birds calling from beyond the glass, a quiet shift hung in the air.
His body…
felt light.
Stronger.
He got to his feet, then checked how he appeared.
His hands—
more defined.
His shoulders—
broader.
His face—
sharp, handsome.
He woke up changed all over.
The baggy shirts he once wore now clung to his shoulders and biceps.
"W-What happened to me…?"
"Is this really me…?"
In the quiet morning of Uttar Pradesh,
a kid who got picked on now woke up turned into a totally new person -
bold, self-assured - like someone ready to step up when things get tough.
Everything from now on felt different for him.
---
Chapter 1 END